Hayworth Spokesman: Becker Camp Manufactured Acid Controversy

Rep. Nan Hayworth’s campaign spokesman Bruce Harvie dismissed the uproar over consultant Jay Townsend’s controversial Facebook comments as a controversy “manufactured” by the operation of one of her Democratic rivals, Richard Becker, and sought to turn the tables by accusing his campaign of hurling “offensive rhetoric and imagery” on the congresswoman for months in various on-line forums.

“It is a matter of public record that the moderator of the page in question, while purporting to represent an objective point of view, is on the payroll of the Becker campaign,” Harvie wrote.

“And in behalf of the Becker campaign, the moderator has tolerated extremely hostile and explicit comments against Dr. Hayworth. Only now have the media chosen to pay attention to this particular battlefield in the war against a woman who has the temerity to be a Republican Member of Congress.”

“The comment receiving the attention was not made on behalf of the Congresswoman or her campaign and was clearly not meant to be taken literally. Meanwhile, this morning’s dismal employment report proves yet again that the Becker campaign is doing all it can to distract attention from the real issues that mean everything to the future of our Hudson Valley.”

“Today’s anemic job figures and rising unemployment rate are stark evidence that their candidate represents a thoroughly discredited set of policies that have caused families here and around the country to suffer needlessly in an economy that can only be revived by doing what Nan Hayworth is working for every day: respecting our hardworking taxpayers, restraining the federal government, restoring long-term soundness to Social Security and Medicare, and repealing and replacing the massive and costly federal takeover of our health care.”

“It’s not too much to insist that the media responsibly analyze context and perspective rather than simply broadcast hysterical and irresponsible attacks from a campaign that is purely seeking to score political points against a Representative who has a consistently strong and positive record as an advocate for every citizen she serves.”

I’m not sure that this statement is in wide release. I actually received it from the Becker campaign, which sent it out at the bottom of its own press release in which Becker criticized Hayworth for failing to heed his call to fire Townsend – now reiterated by at least one of her four other Democratic opponents, Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander. UPDATE: Harvie’s statement was first provided to The Journal News.

“Hayworth’s non-sequitur response is a blatant and pathetic attempt to try and deflect a story that has rightly incited cries of outrage from every corner of this country…This is offensive language, pure and simple, and Nan Hayworth should condemn it and fire her spokesman for using it. That she’s defending him instead is extremely depressing and absolutely unbelievable.”

Also, Becker spokesman Barry Caro said Kevin Winterfield, the moderator of the Facebook forum in which Townsend wrote that acid should be hurled at female Democratic senators, has never been officially employed by the Becker campaign. He did briefly consult with the campaign on “Internet issues” last fall, Caro said, but he’s not on the payroll. (Caro clarified to me that Winterfield actually designed Becker’s campaign website, but hasn’t done any other work since then).

Caro also called out Harvie for failing to provide any examples of on-line nastiness generated by Becker’s campaign against Hayworth.

Manufactured or not, one thing is certain: Becker is certainly getting a lot of mileage out of this one. And he caused two of his primary opponents – Alexander and Sean Patrick Maloney – to comment on this dust-up.

Maloney did not call for Townsend’s ouster, but he call Hayworth’s silence on the matter “shocking,” adding:

“I am deeply troubled that she has yet to publicly repudiate these comments, sanction her spokesperson or at the very least offer an apology to her constituents. In my campaign, anybody who advocated for violence against women would be immediately terminated,” said Sean Patrick Maloney. “There is simply no excuse for this kind of language in our political discourse.”

I have a call in to Townsend, who has yet to comment on the maelstrom he created.